Who's allergic to curry, anyway!
by ZOMGMiki
Summary: The phantom thief Skye pays a visit to the valley's new farmer one night. What happens when he isn't just using his smooth talking with her to get out of trouble, and these visits become regular?
1. The first night

**Hey!** This is my first Harvest Moon fanfic.

I have decided to not follow the heart events, it seems a lot of stories do that with Skye and I wanted a change.

Hope you like it!  
_Poof!_

* * *

**Skye's POV**

I'd been hearing about the valley's new farmer girl for a while now. Brown hair, purple eyes. Likes cows. Hates bugs. Allergic to curry.

_Who's allergic to curry anyway?_

Either way, I admit, it seemed like she was doing pretty well on that farm. Apparently she was earning almost as much money as Vesta's farm, on her own.

And she sounded much more intriguing than the simple Celia.

It was for those two reasons that I decided to pay a visit to her farm that night.

I planned my route carefully, choosing the best entrances and exits. I had planned to obviously enter and leave through the door, but there had to be a few options, you never know what might happen.

I whistled quietly to myself as I walked down the mineral town path. It was late – About 11:20pm. It's easier when it's dark and deserted, as I had built up quite a reputation in the valley.

For I was the Phantom thief.

The thief who warns his victims before the big show.

The thief who charms the local ladies with his amazing looks and smooth talking.

And also, the thief who stays out of the sun in case it ruins his skin.

* * *

I entered her house carefully, and shone my torch at her bed. She was sleeping soundly.

I walked slowly over to her, and examined her face.  
She certainly was worth sweet-talking some time.

Shaking my head, I then focused on the job in hand. I went over to her beauty box, and carefully lifted the lid. It was filled with… Well… "Girl stuff". You know the sort.

"Eww…" I muttered, wrinkling my nose. "That was something I never needed to see."

Closing the box, I then went to her shelves.

I picked up the pieces of gold and mistril ore, looking at the sleeping form in amazement. _She mined these?_

"Clever girl…" I murmured, smiling.

Just as I was opening the fridge, I heard creaking from the bed. The girl was moving.

* * *

An amateur thief would have completely frozen at that thought, but I was experienced. I closed the fridge carefully, and turned to look at her. She was sitting up in bed, shaking as if she was scared of something. Then she switched on the light.

My eyes locked with hers.

"Who… What…" She said, still pinned under my stare. I smiled cheekily.

"It's okay gorgeous, I think you had a nightmare." I murmured, slowly walking towards her. She gasped and blushed. I carried on.

"But don't let that spoil your beauty, although I doubt anything really could." I said, tucking her hair behind her hair and winking at her.

"Go to sleep, and remember this dream." I whispered, making her lie back down, and switching off the light before I left.

_Yeah, she's definitely worth sweet-talking. _I thought, smiling to myself and disappearing into the night.


	2. The man of my dreams

**Hey!** Thank you to my first reviewer, **kagome-inu5**!  
_Poof!_

* * *

**Jane's POV**

"Jane, snap out of it!" Muffy said, waving her hand in front of my face.

"You've been like this all day…" Lumina mumbled, half to herself.

"She looks very thoughtful." Flora stated.

"Lumina, where's the butter?!" Nami yelled from the kitchen.

Celia, my closest friend looked concerned.

"What are you thinking about, Jane? Is anything wrong at the farm?" She whispered to me. I shook my head quickly.  
"No, nothing." I said, smiling at her. "I'm just… wondering how they're getting on back home, that's all."

'_I'm just thinking about the dream I had last night.'_ I thought._ 'It must have been a dream – I've never seen anyone like that guy before. Although, my imagination isn't up to scratch, so how could I have made him up?'_

"Well, as long as you're okay…"

I nodded, and finished Lumina's eye makeup. She was meeting up with Rock, and we were helping her get ready.  
"So… How did he say it?" Muffy asked, raising an eyebrow and smiling at Lumie.

"Well…" Lumina said, blushing and giggling. She had an adorable infectious laugh, and everyone smiled.

"He… Came over to the villa… And he was talking to Gran when I walked down the stairs… Then Gran left us on our own…"

Lumina went an even darker shade of red while we all shrieked. How Lumie managed with Romana, her grandmother who was always doing stuff like that, I have no idea.

Just as Muffy was finishing curling the back of Lumina's hair, there was a knock at the door. Rock was here to collect her, and he blushed a bit when he saw all of us. We said goodbye to Lumie, and off they went, both looking extremely happy.

Then Muffy twirled me round and sat me on the chair.  
"Your turn."

Before I knew it, they had all started piling makeup on me and pulling my hair into different styles.

* * *

I sighed as I walked home that night. Sure, I liked what they'd done. If I ever went on a date then I'd trust them to do my hair and makeup. But…

_Will I ever go on a date?_

I looked at the ground.

Every girl in the valley had a guy, it was so obvious. But I… I was a bit of a loner, to be honest.

_Oh stop trying to hide it. Part of your worry is that you'd not be able to get that guy out of your head if you went out with someone._

As if it was fate, as I lifted my gaze, I was face to face with the man from my dream.

The man **of **my dreams.

He smirked, as he recognized me, too.


	3. But I don't want to stay away from him!

**Hey! Thank you to Mew Mai, ****Kohana92, Zuuzuu, Devilishduck, NinjasRockYourFace and Kagome-inu5 for reviewing and giving any constructive criticism! Thanks! X**

**-Also, NinjasRockYourFace, Zuuzuu and Kohana92 all mentioned the length of my chapters. I tried to make this one longer, but I think this is the longest I can go. I find it hard to write long chapters. D:**

**_I guess I should start saying that Harvest Moon is not mine, I do not own any characters used in this story.  
_**_**Although it would be so awesome if I did.**_

_Poof!_

* * *

**Skye's POV**

She was even more beautiful in the daylight. Her skin seemed more radiant, her violet eyes sparkled. Her cheeks flushed to a dark pink.

_Oops. Guess she's caught me._

To my surprise, she didn't mention me being in her house right then. She was silent. I grinned.  
"Good evening, beautiful."

She blushed more and looked at the ground, clasping her hands behind her back. I looked around, as if expecting for someone to pop up out of thin air.

"Walking home alone, Sweetheart? That's pretty dangerous. Although, angels like you are probably quite well protected." I added, winking as she looked up at me again. I looked at my watch.

"Well, I'd better get moving. Keep out of trouble, don't do drugs and only steal from the rich." I said, walking past her.

I couldn't resist looking back for a last glance. My eyes locked with hers. _Damn._  
I waved, and then turned back around.

* * *

**Jane's POV**

_Was he…?_

_Did he… Turn round?  
Had I imagined that?_

_Ohh goddd… And he smells so good too... Wait, did I just really think that?!_

I just wanted to crawl into a hole. Sound proof, if possible. I really needed a girly moment.

Instead I started humming happily to myself, making my way past the bar. Patrick and the artist Cody stumbled out of the door, drunk and happy. Then they noticed me.

_Shit! Where is my sound proof hole?!_

I walked even faster, trying to block out the shouts and whistles behind me. A hand touched my shoulder.

It seemed like decades before I allowed myself to turn around.

They were both there, their eyes wide and staring, roaming every inch of my face and body.  
To be honest, I even felt a bit self conscious behind the immense fear. My adrenaline was pumping.  
And somehow… I knew theirs was too.

That was the scariest part.  
I tried to turn around but Cody held me in a firm grip. I couldn't move.

_Okay, okay. Calm down. Okay, what should you do in this situation? I've tried running… Fighting? _

I eyed Cody's biceps.

_Um. Maybe not. Shouting! That's it! Scream for help!_

But no sound came out of my mouth. I was completely frozen. I couldn't defend myself in any way.

"Staying here with us, girly?" Patrick laughed. "Well, isn't that nice."  
"What's up? Cat got your tongue?" Cody said, putting his face incredibly close to mine.

I heard footsteps.

Light, quick, familiar footsteps.

* * *

"Oh, Jane Jane Jaaannne." Skye said, almost singing in a patronizing tone.

He brushed Cody's hands off me.

"Gonna join in then?" Patrick asked.  
"Doubt it; surely it's not a guy. Too feminine." Cody said tauntingly.

_Shut up! _I wanted to scream at him. _I __**like**__ it! It suits him!_

"Actually, I thought I'd enjoy it more. You'd just regret it in the morning; I wouldn't have to see her any more if I didn't want to." Skye said, turning round and grinning at them, raising an eyebrow.

I thought they'd taunt some more.

I never expected them to just saunter off back home. But they did. I sort of understood, Skye had obviously charmed them some way. He seemed extremely capable of that.

_Sigh._

We started walking back to my house, Skye and me. Neither of us spoke until I said:  
"Skye?"

He looked at me, smiling. It seemed a genuine smile, too.  
"Yes?"

"Are you really… You know when…" I stuttered. Then I sighed. "Did you mean what you said? About what you were going to do?"

Skye looked at me in disbelief. Then he laughed darkly to himself.

"Do I need to?"

I blushed, and shook my head quickly. He grinned again at me.  
The look in his eyes somehow told me he wouldn't do that to someone.

_His beautiful emerald eyes..._

"I thought I told you to stay out of trouble." He said, interupting my train of thought. I could tell he was still smiling even without looking at him.

"Well. Yeah. I couldn't really help it. I'll keep away from them in future, though."  
He laughed again, like there was a personal joke I didn't yet understand.

"I'll tell you something. You're better off staying away from me. They were drunk; it was late at night…" He said, and then looked seriously at me. "And it might be good if you stayed away from the bar at night, too."

I didn't understand.

"Stay away from you? But you saved me!"

He chuckled.  
"Like I was saying: They were drunk. That doesn't make them bad people."

We reached my house. We turned to look at each other.

"I'm a worse person than them – trust me. If you don't keep away from me, people are going to think you're trouble. I promise you that." His eyes lingered on my face for a few seconds, and then he lifted his hand to my face, gently pushing my hair out of my eyes.

Then he sighed, and disappeared quickly into the darkness, leaving me to unlock my door and change by myself.  
I sat on my bed.  
I squealed.

Then I lay back, sighing happily.

Time for some sweet dreams, huh?


	4. A nightmare in reality

**Hey!  
****Thank you for everyone who's reviewed! **

**Now. Announcement – I'm going on holiday for a week. You have a longer chapter than my Tokyo Mew Mew fanfic readers, but you have a cliffhanger.**

**It was just the way my ideas worked. :D**

**Harvest Moon is not mine, I do not own any characters used in this story.  
****I guess it's probably because nobody would buy the games if I owned it.  
Sigh.**  
_Poof!_

* * *

**Jane's POV**

I turned my light off and closed my eyes, thoughts of Skye filling my head at once.

_The way he looked at night, his voice, his smile, his sparkling green eyes, the way the moonlight made his hair shimmer…_

I sighed happily. I was sure I would have an awesome dream, and I was looking forward to it no doubt.  
When I finally drifted into a deep sleep, I was right – There was Skye.

_He was next to the goddess pond, the top button of his shirt undone, looking up at the stars. Then he closed his eyes, and blushed, as if he was thinking of something embarrassing or cute. I giggled. He stood up, and brushed himself down, smiling.  
"I've been waiting for you." He said. _

_I looked around. Waiting for who?_

_I turned back and his piercing green eyes were locked on mine. I realized he'd been waiting for me. I blushed. He smiled, walking forward. The moonlight shimmered across his hair, his pale face, the top of his chest… I could hardly breathe._

_He was so gorgeous, especially with a smile. A smile for my eyes only._

_He reached out and pushed my hair out of my eyes, much like he had in real life. But then he stroked my cheek with the back of his hand. His touch was soft, gentle, loving._

_I knew that in my dream, he was mine._

_I lowered my gaze to the ground, feeling bashful. He laughed. A laugh that made my heartbeat quicken every second._

_He stopped, and took my hands in his.  
_"_Jane…" he said, suddenly serious._

"_Yes?" I whispered. I realized I had actually stopped breathing. I took a deep breath and looked deep into his eyes once more._

"_Jane…" he murmured again.  
"Yes?" I said louder._

"_Jane… Jane, I told you to leave me alone!" He said, stepping back, his voice getting louder.  
__I felt tears in my eyes._

"_But Skye, I don't want to!" I said, clasping my hands as a tear rolled down my cheek._

"_I told you to! __**Now they're coming! They're coming for you! They're coming for me!**__"_

"_Who's coming? Who?!" I screamed frantically, tears rushing in an endless stream now._

_Then he cupped my cheek with his hand and wiped my tears away._

"_Go now." He murmured, looking straight at me.  
"Go where? Who's coming?" I asked, taking his other hand._

"_Just go. As far as you can. They're coming."  
"Skye! Where! Where do I go?! Tell me! __**Please!**__" _

"_Just go!" Skye said, pulling away from me.  
"Run, Jane! __**Run!**__"_

* * *

I woke up, tears all down my face, and breathing heavily. I sat up in bed quickly to get myself a drink. It was just as I was going to turn on the light that I heard the voices.

Vesta's. Carter's. Griffin's.

"She knows where he is!"

"She's hiding him!"

"Imagine hiding a thief from your friends! Little bitch!"

Then I heard Celia's frantic voice.  
"But… But she hasn't… You have no proof… It's not like that… Jane wouldn't…" She stammered, constantly being interrupted.

I froze. The dream... Skye.

I had to get out of this place, **now**.

I got up, and carefully peeked out of the window. I saw the four of them, just going past Takakura's. Well, the front door wasn't an option.

I hurried over to the back window, and opened it quietly.

I was so glad I'd left my dog in the bird shed. There was apparently a fox in the village, and my dog was surprisingly well behaved around my ducks and hens.

I climbed quickly out of the window. If I wasn't so terrified, I would have laughed. I felt incredibly silly climbing out of my window in my pajamas and fluffy sheep slippers.

I could hear them, banging at the door. I crouched down low, praying they wouldn't come round the back. I had a thought, and closed my window. If they saw it was open then they'd know for sure I'd heard them and got away.

Luckily, (Well. as lucky as you can get when your friends roommates have turned against you) they didn't bother checking the back. Carter and Griffin started doing the manly thing and tried to batter the door down, but I heard Vesta yell at them and push them aside, banging the door open herself.

She was a terrifying woman.

When I was sure they'd all gone inside, I ran.  
I ran faster than I had before. Ever.

Adrenaline was pumping through my veins, and I felt it with ever step I took.

My mouth was dry, my legs were threatening to give in but I pushed them to their limit. My muscles burned. But I knew I had to get far away. I headed towards the forest. It would be hard for anyone to find me there.

I didn't really think about how I'd get out at that point in time.

I got into a clearing. I bent over, breathing heavily.  
Then my vision faded, and I fell into black.


	5. It always comes at the worst time

**Hey! **

**I'm back!**

**Wales was wet and windy, as always. :D**

Warning! Extremely girly chapter! I wanted to make the characters seem more real.

(But it's cute) :)

**Guess what? I don't own anything. I own nothing. I don't own Beechams. I don't own Calpol. I don't even own myself. And I definitely don't own Harvest Moon or any of the characters used in this story.**  
_Poof!_

* * *

**Skye's POV**

I didn't know who she was when I first spotted her.  
I was sitting in the forest, against a tree, just thinking. Thinking about _her_, surprisingly enough.

All I saw at first was a human form collapsed on the forest floor. As I got gradually closer, I noticed it was female.  
Then I started picking out features.

_Jane._

I fell to my knees next to her as I frantically started checking her breathing, her pulse. They were both fine.  
Sighing with relief, I gently slid my arms under her and lifted her.

I figured out I had no other option but to take her to my house.  
When I arrived, I laid her carefully on my sofa and sat next to her for a whole night, waiting for her to wake up.

When her eyes finally flickered open it felt as if a huge weight had been taken of my shoulders.  
I guess I'd been worrying; it's not every day someone collapses in the middle of a forest.

Her eyes widened when she looked around the room, and I could see she was wondering where she was.  
Then she looked at me, and gasped.

"Shh, it's okay…" I said, trying to soothe her.  
"No Skye, you said I couldn't be around you!" she said, panic clear in her voice.

"I know but…"  
"They came! You said they would! They did! They never want me back!" she shouted, tears streaming down her face.

I pulled her close to me and let her cry into my shirt, unable to ignore the feeling of guilt I felt. If what I thought she was talking about was right, this was my fault.

I heard a gasp, and Jane pulled away from me, trying to hide the fact she was clutching at her stomach as if in pain.  
I took hold of her hand.

"Jane? What's wrong?" I asked, concerned. She looked up at me, and her eyes weren't in pain, they were… embarrassed?

"Um… Skye… Do you... Have a hot water bottle, by any chance?" She said, blushing and looking at the floor.  
_"_Why?_"_ I asked.  
_"_I'm not sure you'd want to know._.."_ She said softly.  
"Okay…Sure? Anything else?" I asked, confused now.

"…Paracetamol would be nice… Thank you…" She mumbled.

Still confused, I got up and started to search for a hot water bottle. I searched high and low, until I found the one I used to use when I was little.  
It was silver and fluffy, but it'd do.

_It's actually quite cute._

I ran the water to get it hot as I poked around my cupboards for Paracetamol.

"I know it was here somewhere…" I muttered to myself, sifting through endless supplies of medical stuff.

"Allergy tablets… Beechams 3 in 1… Bandages… Calpol… Calpol?!" I exclaimed.  
"What the hell?" I turned and threw it in the dustbin.

"Ah, paracetamol." I took the box out and put it on the worktop as I filled the bottle with hot water. Then I poured some filtered water into a glass for Jane to take the pills with.

She looked up as I walked into the room, and smiled.

"Nice hot water bottle."  
"Thanks." I said, grinning and handing it to her. "Anything else you need?"

She blushed again. What was wrong with her??

"Umm… Well… I need…" She said, and murmured something in my ear. My eyes widened.  
"What?! I can't buy that! How can we… But you…" I said, burying my face in my hands.

"Okay. I have a plan." I said, standing up. I went back into the kitchen and picked up the phone receiver, dialing.

"Hello?" said a voice at the other end.

"Hey, Isla?"  
"Skye!"

"Yep."  
"What's up?"  
"I need a favor…" I said slowly, wondering how I was gonna put it.

"As long as it's not money, I'll try." she said, laughing.  
"Um. I need you to get me some… Uhh…Girl stuff?"

"Girl stuff?! Awww, my little brother's finally getting to grips with how feminine he really is!" She said mockingly.  
"What do you want, pink frilly skirt?"

"Isla!" I growled. "I mean… Y'know… Time-of-the-month stuff." I said, lowering my voice.  
She giggled.

"Do you have a girlfriend then? What's she like?!"  
"N…Ye…Well… Just get over here Isla!" I muttered angrily.

"I'm on my way!" She sang, before hanging up.


	6. Isla's arrival

**Guys, I am so so sorry!  
**You will not believe how busy I've been with school, how much writers block I've had and then, **_my damn computer broke._**

But anyway, I'm back! (I hope)  
I hope you'll still read and review...

**I only own Isla. I know, I know. I wish I owned the other characters too. But Natsume owns them. I'm sorry.**

_Poof!_

* * *

**Skye's POV**

Needless to say, it was quite awkward when I went back into the room to wait for Isla.  
We didn't say much. I think we were both too embarrassed.

I know I was.  
Too much information alert?

Jane sighed and hugged the water bottle to her. I fidgeted and fiddled with my sleeves.

Eventually, after what seemed like 20 days, not 20 minutes, Isla strutted through the door carrying a bag from mineral town store.

"I'm here!" she announced, as if we couldn't quite work that out ourselves.  
"Good." I mumbled. She started opening the bag.

"Nuh uh! Not while I'm in the room!" I said much louder, turning away and walking quickly into the kitchen.

I'd heard enough already today. I really needed some curry.  
Obviously I couldn't. Jane _was_ allergic, after all.

* * *

**Isla's POV **

I giggled, Skye was still so immature about these matters. I mean, they're natural, right?  
I rolled my eyes and turned back to the girl on the bed.

She was looking at me as if she couldn't believe her eyes.

I checked myself over.  
"What, have I got something on me?" I asked, grinning.

She shook her head.

"You're... Skye's older sister?" she asked, suspiciously.  
"By 3 whole years!" I replied, beaming. Oh, how I enjoyed being the eldest.

She nodded. "You're quite like him." she said.  
I laughed.

"Are you saying Skye looks like a girl or I look like a... well, a very feminine man?" I joked.

She shook her head.  
"No, nothing like that, you both look just right. I was just saying."

She pointed to her hair.  
"It's the same color and... stuff..." she mumbled.

I giggled.

"Well, now that we've got to know each other.." I said, walking over and perching on the side of the bed.

I gave her the bag, then looked at her properly. Trust Skye to choose the really pretty one.

"So... You and Skye, huh?" I said quietly, smiling and raising an eyebrow.  
She blushed bright red.

"Well, I don't know if it's like that.." she stammered.  
"I'm only here because people chased me out of my house.."

"Because of Skye?" I asked curiously.  
"..Yes..." She whispered, wincing slightly.

I sighed.  
"He let himself be seen with you? What an idiot!" I said, exasperated.

I heard a mutter of "_sorry_" from the kitchen. I grinned.


	7. A really crappy chapter

**Sorry once again.**

**Ack.**

**Yes.**

**So. It's short, I know. I lost it halfway through. The next update will be better, I swear... This was a kinda crap "joining up to next update" chapter.**

* * *

**REVIEW REPLIES**

**_Yaay!_**

**_I always like getting replies to my reviews, so here you go, my lovely readers and reviewers!_**

**x-xMasqueradeAngelx-x** –  
Thank you for reviewing! Yeah, writers block sucks so badly. :( I shall try and give yours a read shortly. Thank you for the comment on my storyline, I hope you shall keep liking it!

**AsianFlipGurl** -  
Yaay! I love yours too! I'm happy the update made you even happier, I hope the next will do the same. Maybe this will. Iunno. But as I keep saying, it's a bit crap. I will try to update but y'know, writers block and school, etc. :(

**HarvestLove** -  
I hope the next chapter will be worth waiting for! This one's kinda crappy, I'm sorry. :( Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**topaz-skye** –  
It has been too long, I'm sorry. :( I've never been very good at long updates.

_I'll keep going! Thanks for reviewing!!_

* * *

**Disclaimer:**

**Again. I do not own Harvest Moon.  
To be honest, I only own Isla.**

**I just steal the characters from Natsume to make stories. I'm not very imaginative, y'see. As this very short chapter will show.**

_Poof!_

* * *

**Isla's POV**

"Riight. Here you go then." I said, passing her a bag.  
She took it, and looked inside, then looked at me, expectantly.

I looked back.

The clock ticked.

_Tick..tick..tick..._

What was she waiting for?

_Tick..tick..tick..._

"Oh.. The bathrooms down down the corridor, first right."

She sighed thankfully.  
"Thanks.." she said, skipping off into the corridor while I walked into the kitchen.

Skye looked at me.

"So... you and her, huh?" I said, hoping to get a better answer off him than I had off her. He looked down, blushing slightly.

"Me and Jane? Uhh. We're friends.. I... Honest... Really..."

"Aha, and I own a duck farm in Iceland."

"Do you?" he asked, looking up.

"No."  
"Then why say you do..?"

I sighed, exasperated.

"It was meant to be sarcasm!"  
"Ohh.." Skye said, grinning, clearly trying to lead me away from the question.

I folded my arms.

We both turned round as Jane walked through the door, smiling and humming happily to herself.  
Skye smiled nervously, looking her up and down. I hit him lightly.

"You okay?" I asked, grinning. She nodded, glancing in a confused way at Skye.

I looked at him.  
"Oh, it's okay. He's just a bit freaked out, it'll pass."

She looked at him again, nodding slowly and smiling.

Skye sighed.  
"Okay-"

"Lets go out!" I exclaimed, grabbing Jane's hand and putting it in Skye's.  
They both blushed but.. they didn't let go._ Hehe_.

I danced out of the door with them following, complaining under their breath.


	8. A walk, and a destination

**Hello my lovely readers!**

I hope some of you still are reading!  
Here's a short update - a filler, you might call it.  
Yes, I know... I haven't updated for way too long. I'm sorry, i've been abusing you.  
My mind's been abusing me at the same time.. Can you believe I've had massive writers block?!  
GUH. Anyway. Here they are again!

Thank you for all my reviewers of the last chapter! Xx

**x-xMasqueradeAngelx-x** - :D I hope you'll carry on enjoying the status pyramid!

**Black-Dove15** - I guess this 'long interval' might have been a little too long, huh. :( I'm sorry! I hope you'll keep reading!

**Mikan-senpai** - :3

**AsianFlipGurl** - I'm glad you feel close enough to me to tell me that. Just let it alll out. *pats back comfortingly*

**Selbe** - Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! ^_^

**I do not own any of the characters or locations used in this story, apart from Isla and the random forest. Yay!**

_Poof!_

**

* * *

**

**Jane's POV**

I admired the scenery as we walked, wondering where we were going.  
I stole a glance at Skye.

I wondered if he knew where we were going.  
Isla seemed pretty confident as we made our way through the wood that I had found only the night before. It seemed like much longer since then.

I could have sworn Skye squeezed my hand a little, as we passed through a clearing that seemed familiar.. Could I have collapsed here?

* * *

**  
Skye's POV**

I wondered if she remembered – this was where I found her. Where I'd been so worried.. _And why had I been so worried..?_

I can't think like that – I don't want her near me for too long. I've gotten her in enough trouble already.

_I really don't want her to leave though...  
_I looked at her through my fringe, and smiled a little to myself.

She's so innocent.. I don't want her to know how bad I really am. And her neighbours will probably tell her all about me – pollute her image of me.  
I want to be miles away by that point, I don't want to deal with that.

_Why do I care what she thinks of me?! Stop it, Skye, you don't want her to get hurt, do you?!_

I got brought out of my thoughts by Isla. She turned, and grinned, tilting her head to one side.

"We're here!"

* * *

**  
Jane's POV**

"We're here!"

I looked at her, puzzled. Then I glanced around. This piece of forest looked just the same as every other bit that we'd just walked through.  
"We're.. Where, exactly?"

She cackled, and took hold of my wrist, pulling me through a screen of trees.

"Welcome to Mineral Town!"


	9. Shopping!

**(( So sorry about the EXTREME lack of updates.. I hope this will suffice for now! Thank you for any readers who are still with me after all this time! ))**

**I don't own anything but Isla! **

_Poof!  
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Mineral Town was sprawled out in front of them. Skye had seen it before of course, but to Jane it was completely new.

There was a much larger variety of shops here than there was in Forget-Me-Not valley, and even though she was more hardy than your average female, she was still a girl inside. She still enjoyed a shopping spree.

She glanced at Isla, her eyes shining. Isla laughed and took hold of Jane's sleeve, tugging her down the path and closer to the town itself. "Come on, you two are so slow!" said the impatient young woman, her silver hair glistening in the sunlight as it cascaded down her back. Skye followed, letting go of Jane's hand, feeling a little awkward. He didn't really enjoy shopping - he felt that too much money was being spent unnecessarily. This attitude had arose after years of thievery, naturally.

But... His stealing is what had got Jane into this mess. He decided that he wouldn't be doing any today, especially not with the two women there. He was a gentleman at heart. Even though he seemed like a player, his beauty wasn't only skin deep. He just tried hard to hide his caring heart. Thieves have no room for caring about people.

They passed a few restaurants, and Isla grinned. "We could go and eat there for lunch." she said, nodding at an Indian restaurant. Jane grimaced a little. "I'm sorry, Isla.. I'm allergic."  
Skye didn't react, but Isla was shocked. "Allergic? How can you be allergic?" she asked in a sort of amazement which made Jane feel a little self conscious. "There's a spice that they put in them that makes my throat swell.." she said shyly, looking down. Skye put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll eat somewhere else."

Isla smiled. It was a different Steiner than she'd grown up with. The Skye she'd once known was a player, a womaniser, who used his good looks to cheat people out of their possessions. He was a conceited thief, but he was different now. It seemed that knowing Jane had had a positive effect on him. He was more caring, understanding... She liked the change. But now she was going to force him to shop with her and Jane.  
_Hahaha.  
_

Hours later, two chattering girls and one bored looking male headed over to a restaurant. Shopping had worked up a bit of an appetite. Isla had lent Jane some money because she wasn't going to be able to go back to her farm for a little while - not while they were still looking for her. She had to have clothes, right?  
Steiner had just been put through the worst torture a straight male could endure, but at least Jane was happy. That, he decided, was what had to matter the most at the moment. Jane glanced back at Skye, and he couldn't help but feel a warm feeling inside when he saw her eyes shimmering with contentment._  
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**(( So yeah, sorry! I'll try and update again soon! ))**


	10. A familiar face

**Frankly, I'm amazed that some people are even reading this, so I guess I owe you more chapters ^_^; **

**Thank you so muuch! More soon, I hope, but I'm starting my A Levels on the 6th of September so.. We'll see how it goes D:**  
**I hope I'll be able to, though. And also, I know that this chapter's short and really not good, but considering it's 1:40am and I just felt like updating, I think it's okay. Hope it'll do for now!  
~Loves!**

**_Poof!_**

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After getting into a restaurant that they could all eat in, they ordered, and before long, they were eating and chatting happily. It was a very comfortable atmosphere that surrounded them – even though Isla had insisted that Skye and Jane sit together.  
It would 'look better' apparently. It would 'look more normal', for a girl to be sat with Skye than for two girls together and one lone man, or two almost identical people and one lone girl. They couldn't exactly argue, so together they sat.

Soon they got over the awkwardness of being so close. Jane and Skye were both hungry, anyway, which probably helped to dissolve the atmosphere. Jane's appetite hadn't exactly been huge that morning, and Skye had just been dragged around some shops as some form of torture, so it made sense.

Halfway through, Jane glanced up from their table, and paused in her eating. Nobody really took any notice, before Jane excused herself and hurriedly left, presumably to go to the ladies' room. Isla thought nothing of it, until Skye too, hurried off after excusing himself.

What was going on?

Isla looked around. No, Skye was going in the men's room, so they weren't sneaking off together or anything of that sort of thing.. Not that Isla would expect that of... Well, Jane at least. This was quite suspicious though.

"...and when we got through the door, she was gone!"

Isla froze as she heard a voice that she thought was slightly familiar. Trying not to be obvious, she turned her head, seeking out the speaker. She was small, cute, with straight brown hair, in farmer-like clothes. Her name was on the tip of Isla's tongue but she couldn't quite remember.  
She knew that this girl lived in Forget-Me-Not valley, though.. Maybe she'd listen for just a little longer.

"Vesta is really angry, and she's arranging a search party. Jane can't have got far... But I can't believe she'd do this, she'd cover for a thief! She'd go against her friends!" The girl obviously felt strongly about this – and there was hardly any doubt in Isla's mind about who the Jane was that she was talking about.

"The worst thing.." she said, before sniffing a little. "I'm so worried, I just want her to come home!" The girl collapsed into sobs. Poor girl. She was really fond of Jane.

Isla bit her lip. It was her brother's fault, but now..Well. She'd have to think of a plan, but it wasn't going to be easy to save this situation.


	11. So close

**Okay so, a sort of cliffhanger on the end of this one. Now it's 00:07 on a Sunday night and I have school tomorrow, so I really should be going to bed now.**  
**Happy reading, I'll post again as soon as I can!**

**~Loves!**  
**_Poof!_**

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Isla continued to watch as the person who was with the young brunette girl put a comforting arm around her friend's shaking shoulders.  
"It's perfectly normal for you to be worried, Celia.." she said. _Ah, that was the girl's name._  
".. After all, you were Jane's best friend, right? I know that if my best friend suddenly ran away without telling anybody that they were doing so, I would be really worried, despite anything they may have done which would be considered a bad thing. And anyway.. Perhaps Jane had a good reason for doing what she did?"

Celia snuffled a little and wiped tears from a blotchy face. "Perhaps.." she said in a small voice, so soft that Isla really had to strain to hear what was being said. "I'll just go and.. calm down.."  
With that said, a tearful Celia stood and crossed the room, heading for...

Isla was up in a shot, and walked over to cut across Celia's route to the ladies', turning to look at her and acting surprised and concerned.  
"Excuse me.. Are you alright?" she asked. The brunette looked a little surprised, but nodded slowly, even though it was clear that she was anything but. Isla hadn't really thought this plan through - they were close enough to the door of the ladies' restroom to see anyone exiting or entering it, and it wasn't as if she could keep up this act for long anyway. There was only so much you could say in a concerned way to a crying stranger.

"Are you sure? You look really upset about something.." she continued, caring yet intregued eyes watching Celia's expression change to one of anxiety, as she nodded once more. She looked like a little child who was trying not to cry as they were being told off.  
Isla nodded. "Okay, if you're sure." she said, then carried on walking as if she actually had somewhere to go. She ended up walking into the ladies' restroom with Celia, by accident. It was the only place she could think to go to - and perhaps she could give Jane some sort of warning that her friend was here, so close.

When she got in, she began to rummage in her bag, bringing out a makeup bag and beginning to reapply makeup. "You shouldn't be upset, you're too cute to be crying." she said quite comfortingly to Celia, who smiled a little uncertainly, and even laughed a little hesitantly as she wiped her face and applied a little more makeup to replace what had been smudged or rubbed off.

Jane, who was hiding in a cubicle, listened intently. Why was Isla in here, talking to a random girl, who had apparently been crying? With widening eyes, she realised that the laugh she'd heard sounded a lot like Celias.. Had Isla led her into the restroom? What was going on?  
Heart pounding, she tried to keep as quite as she could to listen to any more conversation. She had missed Celia so much - and even though Isla was very friendly and Jane liked her a lot, she wasn't really a replacement for her best friend.  
She thought she'd never see Celia again. Still, she held herself back, she couldn't reveal herself now - for all she knew, Celia could be completely on Vesta's side by now.


End file.
